We're working on getting our album put together, but we're looking to start live stuff shortly after.We're very much aversed to bringing an actual laptop on stage. (Mojo issues, nothing else.)Would NI's new groovebox baby be a decent expansion?I really just need a very capable sampler that will play nicely with my EMX, and that will switch Patterns in unison with the EMX, but still allow me to add/remove (via solo/mute) parts on the fly.I've not seen a single fully in depth demonstration of Maschine. I figured someone here would have a say.

So, ultimately, my question is:

Maschine vs. ESX...which wins for power/ease of use?

Re: Native Instruments Maschine

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:42 am

by Yatmandu

I got rid of my ESX for a Maschine, which is an incredible beatmaking device (way more powerful than the ESX). Unfortunately there's one huge issue (which I should have realized before getting rid of the ESX): Maschine really needs an up to date PC/laptop/Mac. I have a 3 year old craptop that really doesn't cut it. I can only get a few tracks going before the thing red-lines. Maschine is an utter CPU hog, a big fat corn-fed hog that does absolutely no excersize.

If you go the Maschine route, you'll need a decent PC with loads of RAM. Just my 2c. If you don't like PC's for music making, stay away.

Re: Native Instruments Maschine

Posted: Mon Mar 22, 2010 9:59 pm

by BrandonFrisby

So, Maschine can't run independently of a PC based Laptop?In that case, I'd likely have to pass.What about Akai/Roland's babies?Any of them play nicely with EMX and are more favorable than the ESX?

We're looking to use the samples we capture in the studio (tea cups, old kid's synths, loops, etc) and bring them onstage without sacrificing the 'software free' vibe.

Re: Native Instruments Maschine

Posted: Tue Mar 23, 2010 6:13 am

by Yatmandu

BrandonFrisby wrote:So, Maschine can't run independently of a PC based Laptop?In that case, I'd likely have to pass.What about Akai/Roland's babies?Any of them play nicely with EMX and are more favorable than the ESX?

We're looking to use the samples we capture in the studio (tea cups, old kid's synths, loops, etc) and bring them onstage without sacrificing the 'software free' vibe.

Maschine is an expensive paperweight with buttons and knobs without a PC or Mac to host the software. An MPC 1K should sound better than the ESX as far as samples go, although you would lose the tweakability that ESX gives. But you would also get the pad/drumming way of trigerring stuff, instead of x0x sequencing, which would give your music a different swing to it.

Re: Native Instruments Maschine

Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:29 am

by Unfolding Machines

BrandonFrisby wrote:So, Maschine can't run independently of a PC based Laptop?In that case, I'd likely have to pass.What about Akai/Roland's babies?Any of them play nicely with EMX and are more favorable than the ESX?

We're looking to use the samples we capture in the studio (tea cups, old kid's synths, loops, etc) and bring them onstage without sacrificing the 'software free' vibe.

Hey! Yeah, I've got a Roland SP-606 & an Akai MPC500 as well as the ESX. Been thinking of picking up a Maschine as well to potentially replace the SP-606 when it dies (won't be any time soon, thankfully).

They'll all work just fine with an EMX. Samplers are really open ended- I noticed you've got the old ES1 so you know that, right? So its up to you to make it work. Sample the right things & it'll be fine. Only catch with the ESX is that it can't store as much as the Roland SPs & Akai MPCs. So for long recordings, the ESX won't be so good in your context.

However, each of these four devices approach sampling in very different ways. The Roland & Akai samplers should work as a really nice counterpoint to the EMX as they're primarily phrase samplers (the ESX is a balance of very limited phrase & studio sampling functions desinged for on the fly manipulation). The Roland samplers are purely phrase samplers though, whereas the MPCs are all in one (phrase & studio sampling, external sequencing, audio production) units.

Going only by the numbers, the Akai samplers are better than Roland ones. After using both, its the Roland ones that are easier to use & get better results. The MPCs sequence really well, the SPs (Roland, not Emu) can get really creative with resampling & editing. The MPC can play loads of samples at once, the SPs can't. The limitation's not necessarily a bad thing, it forces you to work more efficiently & creatively...

Plus the Rolands are way cheaper, but I'm biased. They just seem to do what they should better than MPCs. I hate the save-load method that Akai use. The Rolands are similar to the electribes in terms of the 'switch it on & go' mentality.